


Midlife Magic

by kingstoken



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-01
Updated: 2020-12-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:08:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingstoken/pseuds/kingstoken
Summary: “I see more grey at the temples” she observed, Sam laughed.“Does it make me look old?”“No, distinguished” she reassured him.  Sam had just turned fifty this past spring, he tried not to let the grey hair bother him.
Relationships: Rowena MacLeod/Sam Winchester
Comments: 6
Kudos: 26
Collections: 2020 Supernatural & CWRPF Holiday Exchange





	Midlife Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [De_Nugis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/De_Nugis/gifts).



> Written for the spn_j2_xmas exchange. 
> 
> This was originally written before the finale, I could have made it canon compliant, but I liked it the way it was. So, this takes place in a canon divergent universe where both Sam and Dean live long lives.

Sam placed all the ingredients carefully inside the small cauldron, he put her notebook down beside the bowl, he no longer strictly needed it, but this was always easier if he had an object that had belonged to the intended target. Sam lit a match tossing it into the bowl, a small fire exploded from its centre with a rising white smoke. Sam's eyes rolled back in his head, and his consciousness lifted up and away from his body, then descended down to a depth and a dominion that most mortals will never see. 

His vision stops above her, she looks the same as the last time he saw her, her beauty frozen in time. Today she is draped in black simmering fabric, her hair pulled back by two obsidian combs while her reds curls flow loosely down her back. Before her bow two demons.

“Your majesty” says one of the demons “all the new souls have been accounted for and sorted.”

“Any that need to be reviewed?” she asked.

“There are a few special cases that could use your judgment” said the demon as they passed some scrolls to the Queen. 

“Very well, I will take some time to look over these files, and I will get back to you with my decision. You are dismissed.” The demons bowed once again and left the chamber.

“Well, Samuel, I see your astral projection skills have improved” she said looking up “although I wouldn't have advised you to project yourself into Hell, this place has magical fortifications that you are not aware of. Call yourself back now, I meet you the clearing in one hour.” Sam pulled his consciousness back, and came back to himself with a gasping breath.

* * *

There were many entrances to Hell, the best known, and feared, are the gates, but there are also cracks and crevices, so small that only a single soul could pass through. The existence of these tiny doorways are unknown to most of Hell's residents, their locations a highly guarded secret, known by a privileged few. One such entrance was located in wooded lot on the back forty of a prosperous Kansas farm. Generations ago the farmer's ancestors made a, never to be spoken about, deal with a posh man in a suit and tie, and even all these years later the farmer and his family turn a blind eye to any vehicle that by passes the house and the barn, and makes straight for the wooded lot. Here in this isolated place is where Sam would meet Rowena. He didn't have to wait long before she appeared before him. 

“Samuel” she said, with an outstretched hand, Sam clasped it. Rowena used powerful magic to manifest herself physically on earth, although the magic was tied to her place in Hell, and the further she moved away from her realm the more spirit like she could become, this close to a doorway to the underworld it was almost like she was completely human again. 

“I see more grey at the temples” she observed, Sam laughed. 

“Does it make me look old?”

“No, distinguished” she reassured him. Sam had just turned fifty this past spring, he tried not to let the grey hair bother him.

“So, why the astral projection? If you wanted to get my attention surely a summoning spell would have been much simpler” she asked.

“I wanted test my skills.”

“Well, they certainly have improved since the last time we met.” Which had been nearly two years ago. After the end, Rowena and Sam would meet fairly often, when Sam needed her help with spellwork or they needed the intersection of the ruler of Hell, but over the years the time between visits had grown longer and longer. He missed her.

“I want you to teach me magic” She looked at him slightly puzzled. 

“Sam I taught you magic for years, you were my brightest pupil, that is why I trusted you with my collection of spellbooks.”

“But, not every spell is in there, the Defigere Et Depurgare, for example.”

“Is that the issue? Sam, if you're having demon problems you only need to tell me who and where and I'll take of it.”

“No, there is no problem, I just want to learn.”

“Well, the Defigere Et Depurgare is more complex than some of my other spells, it requires adjusting, tailoring, depending on the type of demon you're facing.”

“That's what I want to learn. How to change a spell based on my needs, or even better, how to build one from scratch.”

“You want to learn spellcrafting?”

“Yes” Rowena pursed her lips.

“Sam, where this coming from? I thought you were happy with the life you built.” 

“I am, I was.” A lot had changed in the last thirteen years. Dean and him rarely hunted any more, they were more of a resource for younger hunters they trusted, like Bobby had been for them. Sam had spent the majority of the past years cataloguing the Men of Letters bunker and creating a searchable database for all that knowledge, so it could be at their fingertips when they got a call for help.”

“I guess I've just been feeling a little lost lately, especially since I finished the book.”

“Sam, you finished the book?” she asked, surprised.

“Yeah, I guess I should have lead with that. Hold on, I brought a copy” he said as he jogged over to a knapsack he had left next to a nearby tree, and pulled out a leather-bound book. He handed it to Rowena. She looked over the soft brown cover with embossed lettering, The Winchester Guide to Hunting and Lore. She flipped through the pages, containing a lifetime of information, and including illustrations of every conceivable type of monster.

“Congratulations, Sam, I know how much this meant to you.” This book was the other thing that had consumed most of Sam's time the last thirteen years. It was like his father's journal, but on larger scale, something that could be given to any hunter, new or old.

“I finished about 6 months ago, but we only got them back from the printers last week. You can have that copy, if you like.”

“Thank you, Samuel. I'll have to find a special place for it, because I don't think the average demon is going enjoy how you describe them.” 

“Probably not. So, the last few months I've been studying your notebooks, I mean I'd studied them before, but mostly during times when I was looking for a specific spell to help with a case. This time I did a more thorough survey, and realized there is still so much I don't know.” The smile had slipped off Rowena's face.

“What is it? What's wrong? I'd thought you'd be excited to teach me more.”

“Sam, I think you are more than capable of crafting preliminary spells on your own, but the type of spells you're speaking of, they're dark magic. You have used dark magic before, but usually in only the most dire of circumstances, to save the world, or some innocents. You've never been interested in the darker elements in and of themselves.”

“Is that such an awful thing?”

“I'm not sure. Sam, you know I believe in magic more than anything, but truly dark magic often has unintended consequences.”

“You don't need to coddle me.”

“That's not what I'm trying to do. I just want to make sure you're doing it for the right reasons, and not because you're disenchanted with your life, or at some existential crossroads.” 

“Are you saying I'm having a mid-life crisis?” he asked insulted.

“I don't know, are you?”

“You know what? Forget I ever asked” Sam said in huff, grabbing his knapsack, and walking away.

“Sam” she called out, but he didn't turn around, if he had he would have seen Rowena looking sad, clutching his book to her chest.

“Sam” she said to herself “ I miss you.”

* * *

Three weeks later Sam received a letter in the mail.

_Dearest Samuel,  
Attached is a list of the basic ingredients for the Defigere Et Depurgare. Although, I would prefer that you do not practice his spell on your own.  
If you are still interested in learning more please meet me at the appointed place on the eve of the next full moon.  
Sincerely,  
Rowena_

Sam smiled.

* * *

For the next five years Sam and Rowena met weekly, sometimes more than once a week, as she taught him the intricacies of spellcrafting. The first summer Sam had Dean help him build a small cabin in the clearing, so they could practice in all types of weather, not that Rowena would feel cold, but Sam appreciated the protection from the elements. Currently it was the last week of October, there was a brisk wind outside, but brilliant sunshine shone through the windows. 

“And that is how you complete this time travel spell” Rowena saying 'but, I'm afraid we can not practice it.”

“Why not?” asked Sam.

“Because it's a one way trip, so only use it under the most dire of circumstances, or you'll find yourself in ancient Greece, or medical Scotland, with no way back, and trust me they don't like witches there.”

“Alright” said Sam, he gave her a smile as he started putting the ingredients away.

“Sam, there is something I wanted to speak to you about.” Sam stopped what he was doing to give her his full attention. 

“Your progression has been astounding, and I think even by grand coven standards you'd be almost considered a master spellcrafter. Sam, I don't have anymore to teach you.”

“That can't be right, there must be more to learn.”

“There is always more to learn, just not from me. If you want to continue there are two paths that I think you could follow, one, you study the arcane languages and seek out ancient forgotten texts, or the more likely path, you begin creating spells that are uniquely yours. Either way, you no longer need me.” Sam seemed a little stunned.

“What if I told you I don't want to do either of those things?”

“It's your right to stop at any-”

“I don't want to stop, I want to be with you. What if I told you that I look forward to coming here every week, not just so you can tell me how to combine different magical herbs, but to hear you laugh, to see your smile.” Sam grabbed her hand.

“Oh, Sam.” Sam's other hand tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, then caressed the side of her check.

“I torture myself, often asking why I didn't see it before.”

'Sam, this isn't a good idea.”

“It isn't?” he said, closing the distance between them.

“No.”

“Rowena, can I kiss you?” They stared intently at each other for a long moment, then Rowena rose up on her tiptoes, and kissed him. The tender, exploratory kiss quickly blossomed into open mouthed passion, eventually they both separated to take a breath, Rowena pulled away.

“This is definitely a bad idea” she said. 

“Why?”

“Sam, I'm not real.”

“Yes, you are.”

“Sam” she said grabbing his hand “this thing you feel, it's magic, a trick. I'm nothing more than an ephemeral spirit, I am not a flesh and blood women.” 

“I can see you, and feel you, that's enough for me.”

“It shouldn't be. I can't exist permanently on Earth and you can't live in Hell, which means we can only be together for short periods of time, in this inbetween place. That is hardly fair to you.”

“Shouldn't I be the judge of what is fair to me or not?” asked Sam “Rowena, I'm not a boy anymore, I'm not even a young man. I'm old enough to know what I want. I'm happy with the life I've built, but I'm even happier when I'm here with you. Look, if you don't want to go do magic with me I won't force you, I won't force you to do anything, but please don't go away again. The thought of us not seeing each other for years at time, it hurts too much.”

“Sam, that's never going to happen again. Wait, that wasn't the reason behind this whole thing was it?”

“No, I really did want to learn spellcrafting, but I only wanted to learn it from you.”

“Oh, my dear boy” she said caressing his hand “Oh, I guess I can't call you that anymore.”

“Yes, you can, but only you” he said giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. “so, if we are not learning magic next week, whatever will we do with our time?”

“Oh, I don't know” she said, winding her arms around his neck “I'm sure there are a few things I can still teach you.” And she pulled his mouth down to hers.


End file.
